Rim of Faith
by CindyLou Me
Summary: Dumbledore recruits a new,unconventional, member for The Order. Sunny Burgess must learn to wade the volatile landscape of magic without loosing herself in the process, and Sirius Black, a man with nothing to loose, must learn to trust her. Set mid TOOTP.
1. Chapter 1

Cecilia Burgess considered the old man with the crooked nose in front of her. Her eyes, a wider, deeper blue than his, held his gaze. Her lips were parted to accommodate short shallow breaths, but besides that, the only tension she betrayed was a slight shifting of weight from foot to foot, an ingrained habit from years of playing American football. When he moved it was quick, with no hesitation; he raised his wand, aimed, and shot what she knew to be a jinx at her right shoulder.

She gasped as the raw power hit her and sent her rocking, throwing her back into the sooty hearth. Long, sunshine yellow hair covered her face, and the fresh scent of smoke mixed with the greasier tang of old ash. Her hand flew to her shoulder, massaging the overpowering numb, pins and needles, her mouth a hollow O. And then with a sharp intake of breath, the knife was pulled from the wound and a burning sensation covered her shoulder, traveled down to her elbow and radiated into her palm finally reaching her fingertips.

"God Dammit!-" _Oh, Dear Lord, please forgive me._

She leaned over, curling around herself, biting her lip on the blasphemy and cradling her arm, frantically wrenching off the scorching rings of her right hand. _Thank You for losing my bracelet last week. Please take this pain away. Please. Please. Fuck._

She continued to moan, but finished her swearing and praying silently. It took longer to recover from this jinx, about a minute and a half. Finally when the worst of the burning, and the pain induced nausea had receded, she pushed on her rather heavy thighs and stood to her full height of five foot nine. Panting, she shook back her hair and continued to knead this freshest bruise through the thin pink cashmere sweater she had bought for herself the week before, the only Christmas present she received. Her finger snagged on the soft fabric. She looked down at a small hole, singed around the edges. Her eyes narrowed into slivers of storm.

"Miss Burgess?"

Breathing heavy through her nose, she looked at the old man in front of her. "Ouch," she said, punctuating every letter with as much emphasis as possible.

Albus Dumbledore lowered his wand and looked over his half-moon spectacles at her. She could almost feel his empathy embrace her. "Are you okay?"

She growled and turned her back on him, shaking her arm, and flexing muscles, testing to see if there was any damage. It was numb, like she had fallen asleep on it for most of the night, but the pain was almost totally gone. Despite this, it didn't help when she heard him chuckle. She snapped her attention back to him.

"How can you laugh?" she demanded.

He stretched his open palms up toward her, as if in supplication. "Forgive me, my dear Miss Burgess, I am not remotely laughing at you, I am merely astounded." He raised his hands higher in the air. "I have often wondered if this was possible; it seems to be a miracle."

She sniffed and offered her profile, not wanting to let him off too easy, but knowing the comfort of truth to his words. "I didn't know wizards put much stock in providence. And I told you to call me Sunny."

He chuckled again, dropping his hands.

Sunny paced the grimy floor, the tacky sound of her scuffed boot soles marking her progress. It hardly seemed only three days since Professor Dumbledore - she looked at him out of the corner of her eye without breaking stride; he was leaned over a rickety table writing something with an old fashioned feather quill, proof beyond a doubt, in Sunny's mind, that he was not a normal person. _But then, _she thought, pausing in her pacing, _neither am I_ – It had been three days since he approached her in the streets of London. She had been staring at the door to a pub, The Leaky Cauldron, going in and out of focus, like it wasn't sure if it wanted to exist or not. She had been in London since the day after Christmas; taking advantage of her leave of absence from work, excellent airfare and no one in DC she wanted to spend New Years with. She laughed softly, breathing out through her nose; even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined to be spending New Years with a man fifty, _no_, she stole another look at the man now rolling up the paper , _sixty years older_, and learning…_learning what?_ Sunny still wasn't sure. She had never even been out of the United States, but it never occurred to her to be nervous about traveling alone, because she never was truly alone. She was always with Him. Besides, _how different could London be?_ She stopped pacing, standing in a cloud of dust motes that swirled thick in the shaft of the setting sun which filtered in from the lone window.

She was a long way from home. _Please, give me strength._

"What kind of freak am I?"

Professor Dumbledore's face took on the stern look of disapproval. "My dear, what do you mean? I see a lovely girl in front of me that has a remarkable ability."

Sunny threw her head back and laughed, which turned into a choking cough as dust settled in her throat. She bent over again, laughing and choking. Dumbledore waved his wand and a glass of clear water appeared before her, hovering in midair. Still coughing, she took a step back.

_Magic. _

No matter what she had learned in the past several days, it was unnerving when it popped up out of no where. _But it can't hurt me._ She flexed her right arm, the numbness now gone. She passed her hand over shoulder, letting the rough fibers of the seared threads snag on her chapped hands. _Not really, at least. _She reached out and took hold of the floating glass, drinking half it down without taking a breath.

"See there, the fact that you can laugh in the face of adaption and accept the things previously unknown to you, it is remarkable."

She paused, panting, and smothering a choke. "I don't know so much about adaption, but no one's called me a girl in quite some time," she managed. "It's funny."

"Twenty-six is only one year over a quarter century."

_A quarter century! _Sunny closed her eyes and poured the last bit of water into her mouth, her cheeks stretched to bursting. _Oh well, at least I know where I'm going when it's all over._ Dumbledore was still watching her with an amused smile on his face when she looked up. She smothered one last cough, but spurted water onto her chin, which she had to wipe off. Not knowing what to do with the glass, it looked much too clean to place on any surface in this room, she held it out.

Dumbledore waved his wand again in an absent-minded sort of way. Sunny felt a small flick of something touch her hand. His brow furrowed. "Interesting. Miss Burgess, can you drop the glass?"

"Drop it?"

"Yes. Please," he added.

Shrugging, Sunny dropped the glass. It vanished with a subtle flick of the wizard's wand before hitting the floor. The silence echoed louder than shattered glass.

_How is that possible? Where in creation do vanished objects go? Can a thing…can it Be one moment and the next simply not Be? How do You do it?_

The last thought had her squirming. Nothing in her experience gave her any understanding to how God and magic worked together. Faith was the magic of God. Period. You either believed or you didn't. There were no shades of gray. But here was a person in front of her that she knew to be a man, not God, claiming magic for him and thousands of others. _How is that faith? _

Footsteps brought the silence to an end. Sunny re-focused her eyes on the spot the glass went into non-being and then straightened up to the bright blue eyes of the man standing in front of her.

"Are you okay?"

She blinked and didn't answer, afraid she might cry if she tried to. How had everything changed so fast?

"I must return to the castle; my students are arriving tonight from holiday. Are you prepared to…" he paused, leaning down to look deeper into her eyes. He sighed and stepped back. "It seems that you may not be so keen on the position after all."

She turned her head and looked out the window, blinking hard to keep back her tears.

"I don't think I can completely obliviate you without drastic side effects, so you will always have a heightened awareness of the wizarding world. I will not stop you from leaving if you so wish."

_What? NO! _The last word echoed in her mind like a vanished glass.

"No," she said, squaring her shoulders and turning back to face him. "No, I know… I just don't understand and I'm scared, Dear God, help me I'm scared, but I believe this," she gestured to the room at large, not knowing if she was including everything in the room, the odd little town or creation itself, "this is where I'm supposed to be. The worst part of moving on is that there is nothing to move on from." She shrugged, not really knowing what that meant, but it sounded right.

The sun sank below the horizon taking the last warmth from the light. Before total darkness could engulf them, the soft flickering light of candles ignited throughout the room, which cast gray shadows over the spare furniture, walls and the two people.

"Are you sure?"

Sunny gulped, trying to ignore the sudden change in atmosphere. "Yes. Must you go now?"

They both knew the question asked was, _must I go now._

"I'm sorry, but please know that I'm sending you as safe a place as there can be."

"Like here?" She raised a sardonic eyebrow and peered around and the gray room.

The small smile he offered was comforting. "My brother has never been the best housekeeper, and unfortunately twelve Grimmauld Place -" he raised the roll of paper in his hand, which disappeared in flash of golden fire. Sunny blinked, sure she missed something, but Dumbledore went on as if nothing spectacular had just happened, "-is only moderately better than here. It was left vacant for a decade and has only recently been established as a home again. It is Sirius' house, and headquarters to The Order of the Phoneix."

"Sirius? Sirius Black, right?" Her voice was raw, breaking on the wild, untamed taste of night.

"Yes. And it's a good night for introductions; I believe Molly and Arthur Weasley may still at headquarters, as well as Remus Lupin." He peered at her as if he could read the words going through her mind.

_The werewolf._

"Do we need to go overthe names of the other Order members, or do you feel confident?"

She gave a short jerk of her head. "Will the others… the other members of The Order, will they… I mean… do they know about me?"

_So much for confident._

Dumbledore lifted his arms and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. His palm covered the hole in her sweater and felt profoundly warm. "They know a new, more unconventional member by the name of Cecilia "Sunny" Burgess has joined The Order and is to arrive at headquarters tonight, but no, they don't know about you." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I think it wise to keep your talent as close as possible for the time being. Of course it is inevitable that your abilities will soon be acknowledged, but I have found it's better to let others form their own opinions about one another, it leads to far fewer instances of under or overestimating our counterparts."

Sunny nodded, this time with a little more grace and managed a small smile, hoping to convey that she knew this was a warning for her as well. His fingers tightened momentarily on her shoulders. For just a second, the idea of stepping into a new, unknown life seemed not only fine, but thrilling.

_Reversal of Destiny._

Dumbeldore squeezed her shoulders one last time and released her, turning swiftly around and crossing the room.

Stepping back, Sunny was caught off balance; dizzy and disoriented, she wished she couldn't see the hole on her shoulder. She took a breath, and raked her hands through her normally smooth golden hair to find her fingers catching in tangles. _My hair! _She set to finger combing_,_ throwing her focus on solving the concrete problem of vanity.

She was still working on the ends, when a blue glow came from a book in Professor Dumbledore's hands joined the flickering candlelight. "Given your unique ability," he said, "I am going to take an extra precaution in using the Floo Network."

Sunny nodded even though she didn't understand what he was talking about and continued to pull at the knots binding her hair together.

"Once we hear ba…oh, excellent. Sometimes life is so beautifully choreographed, don't you think Miss Burgess?"

Emerald flames sprang to life in the cold fireplace and the outline of a silver dog bounded out, landing lightly on the floor. Sunny stopped grooming but could do nothing about her hanging mouth.

The dog nipped twice at the air before speaking.

"Message received and we are awaiting the presence of Ms. Cecilia Sunny Burgess."

She wasn't sure, but it sure looked like the dog winked before vanishing, leaving the distinct scent of animal.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said again, leaving no room for echoes. "Miss Burgess, if you please." Sunny closed her mouth and realized Dumbledore was holding his hand out to her, an invitation forward. Her heart started beating just as fast as if he was about to jinx her again. She crossed the room without knowledge and stood before him. "Now, I believe if you use this portkey," he said, placing a small leather book in her hands, which she took without looking ,"as well as the Floo powder, you shouldn't have any trouble."

Sunny blinked at the fireplace. _Dear Lord, is this really my path? _It wasn't a prayer it was a plea.

"I'm sorry not to be able to go with you, but I feel confident that we shall see one another soon." He gestured into the fireplace.

She stepped in, crossing her arms and crushing the book to her chest.

"Ready?"

Not knowing where to look, she closed her eyes.

"Oh and Miss Burgess-"

Her eyes fluttered open. Dumbledore was holding a bowl of glittering powder.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Your faith, Miss Burgess, I believe is the key."

Without preamble, he threw a handful of powder at her feet. Green flames and blue illumination grabbed hold of her and in a blaze of white, Sunny vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius Black shielded his eyes from the blinding blue-white light that washed the gray kitchen into stark relief. It was like having an unpleasant picture developed before his eyes

"Bloody Hell," he said, blinking back the light induced tears.

He could hear Remus, standing behind him, having a similar reaction to the unexpected arrival of the newest member of The Order. The light's crescendo peaked, forcing him to close his eyes completely and it wasn't until he felt the fury of brightness fade did he try to open his still tearing eyes.

A rosy, pink and gold scrim obscured the new arrival. Sirius blinked, wondering if it was his eyes still tearing that was blocking his vision, but disregarded the curiosity when he caught the distinct smell of honeysuckle. With the pinpoint moment of past, present and future aligning, he lowered his arm and gasped, sucking in the heady scent.

It had been a torturous escape from Azkaban, even in his animagus form of a dog and when he had finally crawled onto the beach at dawn after hours of swimming, he could do nothing but collapse in an overgrown brush and hope he was hidden. When he awoke that afternoon, it was the smell, the rich wholesome smell of honeysuckle that kept him from thinking he was dead or dreaming, because nothing could ever smell that good in a dream, and if he was dead, well, he didn't think there'd be honeysuckle around. Just as he did a year and a half previous, Sirius breathed deeper, marveling in the fantastic enormity of freedom.

_Anything is possible_.

It was only the one breath before the spell of déjà-vu broke; leaving a tall, windswept girl staggering in his fireplace and the knowledge that he was a prisoner still. Shoulders slumping, he dropped his arm to his side and sighed.

_Freedom is such a fleeting bitch. _

The woman clutched a book to her chest with her left arm, and held the edge of the brick wall in an apparent effort to keep from falling to the floor. She took a jerky step and fell to her knees, the book clattering to the floor beside her as she braced her hands on the flagstone floor, breaking her fall. Her hair puddled around her, shining in the dim light.

"What the fuck was that?"

_An American! _

Sirius raised his eyebrows, and watched as she pushed herself to her knees, muttering under her breath and gesturing the ridiculous emblem of muggle religion, top of the head, to the abdomen and across the torso. Much more interesting was the back band of her denims stretched tight across her rounded bottom and her sweater hiked up, exposing the pale skin of her lower back. He was trying to decide if she was a bit overweight or shapely, and didn't realize he was staring until her hand tugged the pink fabric down. He ran a hand through his dark hair, not particularly wanting to be caught staring, but when he looked up, she didn't seem to be aware of any other person in the room; she had her eyes shut and was... she was praying.

With even wider eyes and a pointed look, he turned to Lupin, who pressed his lips together in a warning.

"My goodness," his friend said, stepping forward. "I'd call that one way to use the Floo Network." He crouched down next to the kneeling woman, cutting off Sirius' view of the girl. Frowning, Sirius shuffled to the side and feeling the table press against his leg, he perched on the edge and crossed his arms.

She whispered one last word to herself and opened her eyes, turning her head slowly to look at Remus. She had clear blue eyes which had the careful, controlled look of someone who was about to totally lose it.

_Great, just what Harry needs, another misfit to look out for him, _Sirius thought.

"You must be Cecilia." Sirius could hear Remus' easy smile and glanced up to see her head give a jerky nod. Her eyes flicked over Remus' shoulder and fell on him. Frowning, Sirius tilted his head. There was something off about her, even more off than usual, sure she was pretty and Dumbledore had sent her – Sirius placed his palms down on the table and sniffed the air. The scattered remains of his honeysuckle were detectable along with the powerful vestige of Dumbledore's magic. Brow furrowed, he sniffed again. Dumbledore's magic.

"Where am I?" The girl was still looking at him.

_Dumbledore had _sent _her. _

_It can't be. Dumbledore wouldn't do something like that._

He rose from the table so he was once again standing and glanced at her empty hands. There was no wand.

_I don't believe it, a muggle - Dumbledore sends a muggle, a bloody American muggle, as the newest member of The Order. _He looked over at Lupin and saw from the set of his mouth that his friend was coming to the same conclusion.

_We don't stand a fucking chance. _

And he threw his head back and laughed. He whirled around, paced to the far wall and leaned against it, shaking with wild laughter. He could sense Lupin's disapproving stare, but there was nothing for it. Lupin would see the irony, but he couldn't possibly appreciate how ridiculous the situation really was. That was for Sirius alone.

First and foremost was the image of his mother's sour, bitter face if she could have lived to witness a muggle, (a muggle!), praying on her kitchen floor. Sirius pounded the wall with his fist. It was priceless.

Then, almost better than that, there was Kreacher. Perhaps the shock of being forced to serve a muggle would be the final blow and the rotten old elf would drop dead of a heart attack. He bent double and clutched his sides. It was almost too much to hope for.

And finally, it was over. It wasn't that he had anything against muggles, in fact he rather liked them, perhaps not as passionately as Arthur Weasley, but muggles did have some things right. Their cars and motorbikes for instance, thrilling fun they were. But if Dumbledore was recruiting muggles to arm the resistance against the most evil dark wizard of all time, why not just line up and let Voldemort pick them off one by one?

_At least it would be a change. _

A hot surge of anger dampened the dark comedy of Sirius' mind. He collected himself, somewhat, turned and walked back to Lupin and the girl, who was now standing and brushing off her knees and sweater.

"Brilliant, Sunshine! Welcome to number twelve Grimmauld Place." Sirius clapped Lupin on the back. "This is my oldest living friend and colleague, Remus Lupin. Believe it or not, once a month he makes me look like a bloody Saint-"

"Sirius," Lupin said with a warning growl in his voice.

"-And I am Sirius Black." Sirius gave a deep, magnanimous bow. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to my home and the current headquarters of The Order of Phoenix."

She finished brushing off the sleeves of her ruined sweater and clasped her hands in front of her before looking at him. Up close, she was even taller than anticipated, and not a girl. Now that he saw her, he could see the strength of maturity in her face, a certain confidence that younger women lacked. He felt himself straighten up a little more as the seconds stretched thin and she didn't respond in any way but let his smile broaden at the challenge.

Lupin cleared his throat. "Yes, welcome. Traveling by Floo can test the best of us. Are you okay?"

She tossed her hair, in what Sirius presumed to be a characteristic gesture as she turned to look at Lupin. There was a singed hole on her shoulder, the same size and shape as the one that marked him on the Black Family Tree hanging in the other room. His smile faltered. _What could have left a wand mark like that on a muggle woman? _

"I'm fine, thank you." Her voice was distant.

Lupin cocked his head. Sirius could see question in the tension of his neck, almost hear the swivel of his friend's ears. Sirius became more alert. Not many people knew Remus well enough to pick up on his wolfish cues, but Sirius learned long ago to pay attention when Moony did. Sniffing the air again, it was there, that something different about her that he sensed earlier. The woman, Cecilia, smiled and reached out to pat Lupin's arm. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

_Brave woman._

"I'm fine. Really." Her voice was warmer, but her eyes darted to the floor and in the same fluid movement, she bent and picked up the fallen book. She was slow to stand and caressed the cover as she took a couple steps into the kitchen. With a soft breath through her nose, and a shake of her head, she tucked it under her arm and proceeded to meander around the room, looking at many of the items with interest.

She reached out to touch a broom, which was trying to hide in the corner. It obviously wanted to be left alone because it played opossum at her touch. She became absorbed in the game, pretending to leave it be before reaching out and grabbing it again, until it fell twitching on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Sunshine, but who are you?"

She ignored him and started on her own hysterical giggles as she continued her inspection of the kitchen, humming some vaguely familiar dramatic song.

"Earth to Sunshine."

He was expecting Lupin to reprimand him, and was surprised enough to look over at his friend when no warning came. Lupin was staring at the fallen broom, the absorbed look of deep thinking lining his weathered face.

When Sirius looked back at her, she was motionless in the middle of the room with her back to them. And then very slowly she turned and walked back to join them. She was smiling as if in on a private joke.

"Thank you for your most kind welcome, Mr. Black." She dropped into a deep curtsey. "I am Cecilia Burgess." She raised herself, and Sirius could see that she was an athletically built person, perhaps softly out of shape, but strong and limber nevertheless. She turned to give a more genuine smile to Lupin. "But most people call me Sunny." Lupin still had a baffled look on his face.

"Okay, Sunshine, perhaps you can tell us your story."

She blinked like she didn't understand him. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, you're an American, and - " Sirius left the end of the sentence hanging and tried to smile, but his patience was running thin.

Lupin snapped out of his revere. "I think what Sirius is trying to ask is how long you have known Dumbledore and what compelled you to become part of the resistance."

Sunny lifted her chin and clutched the book closer to her chest. "Compelled, Mr. Lupin? What compels any of us?"

Sirius closed his eyes and a let out a deep breath. How many times had he seen the same imperial look in this kitchen?_ Spoken like a true pureblood._

Lupin continued. "True, we all have our own reasons for joning - "

Slapping his hands on his thighs, Sirius moved forward. "Remus, there isn't any time to waste on philosophy."

Lupin tried to talk over him, but Sirius pushed past until he was standing close enough to Sunny to see the flush rise on her cheeks. "Why did Dumbledore bring you here? How can you possibly help us defeat Voldemort?"

She was breathing hard, and Sirius was aware of being offensively close to her, he felt off balance, but he set his feet, refusing to step back away from her penetrating stare. The silence of her reply echoed. By the time she stepped back, shame coiled a loop in his stomach.

"I don't mean to be rude," she said with an extra emphasis on the last word, "but I am extremely tired and would like to rest."

"Of course," Lupin said, sliding past Sirius and heading to the door, "come with me. We just had some people leave earlier, so you can have their rooms."

She nodded and followed him out the door. Sirius could hear Lupin's voice reassuring the sunshine girl, not doubt telling her not to be frightened of anything, including him.

Snorting, Sirius walked over to the liquor cabinet and wrenched open the doors_. As if she'd be scared. _He grabbed a glass, and threw it across the room, pulling his wand as it left his fingers. The glass shattered into glittering fragments that Sirius vanished instantly. He looked to the doorway, but it remained empty. Sirius took the firewhiskey out of the cabinet and settled at the table, drinking straight from the bottle.

It wasn't that she was here that bothered him. It wasn't that she was an American or a muggle that bothered him. And it wasn't that she didn't answer his questions that bothered him. What bothered him was that she knew something, something that he couldn't understand, because when they were nose to nose, he kept thinking that she was here for him and him alone. But that couldn't possibly be, because he was a Black, and there was no sunshine in his life.


	3. Chapter 3

It was time for drastic action. Before she could change her mind, again, Sunny reached out, grasped the serpentine door handle and opened her sanctuary to the unknown. She stepped back, dizzy with the sudden movement, and waited for something to happen. Bells. Whistles. Jinxes. But the black outline of the doorway remained empty.

And quiet.

She raised the candle over her head, blinking midnight dots away as she peered into the gray light. There was a dark shape on the floor. She tensed; ready to spring for the door and slam it shut, but her eyes adjusted to see it was only the obligatory tray of food that had appeared at some point during the day. Her stomach gave a squeamish turn at the prospect of eating; it had been days since she had taken in anything but water. Turning her ear to the doorway she listened to the watchful silence, but there was nothing. _ Can a building hold its breath?_

The house had been nothing but strange rustlings since she locked herself in the musty bedroom on the evening of her arrival days before. The noises were something easy to ignore when she was deep in conversation with Him, or when burning her pent-up energy by exercising, something she had been neglecting ever since the comforting news of Papa's death six months previous, sweet proof that He heard, listened and acted. It was only when she lay on the twin bed farthest from the door, seeking the solace of sleep that she was unable to ignore the intent curiosity seeping in under the door. Like a forgotten doll, she tried to hide from the attention, but dolls are meant to be played with.

Sunny never liked dolls much.

Lowering the candle, she adjusted the ill-fitting robe as best she could. Like the food it had appeared out of nowhere, a clear hint that she needed to change her clothes. It lay on the dresser for at least a day before she tried it on. It was certainly not like any dress she had ever worn and once she pulled it over her head, it was too loose around her hips, too tight on her breasts and too short to wear her boots, a true travesty of fashion. But there was nothing for it; her other clothes had not reappeared, and she was certainly not going to roam around naked. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stepped onto the threshold.

_Do not be afraid._

It was a litany that He repeated over and over, but as Sunny waited for her eyes to adjust to the gloom of the hall, she felt it was a command that she was incapable of following. _The best I can do is not be a coward._

Sunny took one barefoot step and, holding her breath like the house around her, didn't stop until she had traveled to the top of the once grand staircase. She could sense the muffled sound of talking coming from downstairs, an impression in the stillness that her exhaled breath covered. Holding her breath again, she listened for distinct voices but there was no deciphering the murmur. In truth, she was listening for one voice in particular; the one voice that distracted her waking prayers, and increased her discomfort in sleep, haughty, demanding and burning with the impossible, her host, Sirius Black.

She knew how to deal with men like that, or at least she used to. Lord knew Papa gave her enough experience as a child, teaching her to play the obedient pet, to think that it was normal to throw herself at the mercy of one asshole after another. If she could change even one of them then it would make the catastrophe of childhood worthwhile. But it had been years since she had exchanged sorrow and shame for the joy of the Lord. She closed her eyes and breathed, blocking off the vibration of conversation once again. The ancient, musty smell was stronger here in the hallway than it was in her room.

_Do not be afraid._

Sunny watched her feet kick out from the hem of the too short robe as they traveled down the stairs, purposefully keeping her eyes downcast so she wouldn't have to see the grotesque trophies lining the wall. Houselves, Remus had called them when he showed her to her room. She shuddered and ducked her head further as she passed by them. Whatever they were, she could have gone a hundred years without seeing one, especially beheaded, and been content with her lack of knowledge.

Her foot hit the bottom stair, and using the banister, she swung to the side of the staircase, toward the hallway she knew lead to the kitchen, determined to get away from the blank eyes. What she wasn't counting on was coming face to face with a living counterpart. She froze and stared at the creature in front of her who was standing in the center of the hallway, trapped between her and the voices on the other side of the door. Everything about him screamed of misery, from his pulled face to the filthy rag covering his scrawny body. Her instant reaction of pity was quickly replaced by fear as she noticed he had the look of a caged animal.

_Do not be afraid._

She backed away, slowly, trying not to provoke the creature in any way. Not taking his narrowed eyes off her for a moment, he inched forward until he had slipped around the scroll of the banister and stood on the bottom step, staring.

"Hello," she said, her voice ringing through the house like a declaration.

The tense exhale was palpable; the voices stopped speaking, and with a look of hatred, the creature screwed up his face and spat at her feet, making her jump deeper into the foyer and knock into a table against the wall. In an effort to keep the candle from falling, she tried to brace herself against the wall, but instead tugged a curtain away, revealing a picture of a woman as putrid as the hocked up houself loogey. The woman in the picture stood up and with a shaking finger pointed directly at her, started a verbal assault.

"Who are you? A filthy muggle in my house, wearing wizard robes! Pretender! Probably a whore of my despicable son, he always did like muggles."

The kitchen door burst open. Sunny tossed her hair over her shoulder as she turned around. She looked up to see the back end of the creature scampering away up the stairs and several people piling into the narrow hallway. Maybe because he was the only familiar person among the people filling the cramped space, but she found his eyes and couldn't look away. They were gray; a color she had never actually thought could be for eyes, but gray they were. _Shades of gray. _

"You!" the picture behind her screamed. "Does this muggle whore belong to you, you perverted blood traitor?"

She saw the contraction of tension draw his brow down and still looking at Sunny he pushed forward. He drew his wand out and pointed it at the curtains, which gave a feeble tug, but didn't close off the hag from view. Sirius stopped right in front of her, almost as close as the last time they met, the warmth of his body making her realize that she was cold, and this knowledge triggered a shivering tremble that started in her stomach and threatened to betray her to everyone in the room. Heart beating madly, she tilted her head up to hold his gaze; she had tried to forget how tall he was, and how the impenetrable scent of night clung to him. A smile, sad and fleeting brushed across his lips.

"I would introduce you to my mother, Sunshine, but it seems you've already met." He sighed and looked over her shoulder, bringing on a fresh torrent of abuse from the picture hovering above them "She's been dead for years, and I haven't figured out how to shut her up yet."

"That's your mother?"

Sirius nodded.

Sunny watched his face, resigned into indifferent sarcasm at his ill treatment that not even death could cure. A hard lump of anger formed in her throat. Just like Grandmother - what gives assholes the right to unleash their own fucking misery on people around them?

_I Am? I Am, right?_

_Yes, Beloved, I AM._

Sunny took a breath that mastered her shivering. Holding the candle high, she turned to face the portrait.

"Mrs. Black, a word please."

The picture woman's eyes widened as she spluttered in indignation.

"My name is Sunny Burgess, and I want to make myself plain. You will _never_ speak to me in such a way, ever again." Her voice was not loud, but carried over the whole silent room. "If you do, I will pray that the Lord will bring a lightning bolt from the sky that will drive you into the depths of hell, shackling you to the devil as his whore for eternity."

_Beloved-_

Sunny drew another breath, heading the warning and trying to control her anger. She knew who prowled like a roaring lion, looking for somebody to devour; she had just named him, but there was a time to fight for those around you, for those who cannot fight for themselves against the unrighteous. There was a time to point fingers and accuse them for what they were, a giant pile of cowardly shit.

_Sirius - how many people had ever fought for him? _It was a confusing thought, which heightened her anger. She gripped the candle, her hand starting to shake.

"You will have no hope of redemption, and your soul will live for eternity in the tight fist of fear, Mrs. Black." She was trembling from head to foot. "Make no mistake, I have prayed for vengeance before and He has exacted my revenge, literally ripping the shriveled heart out of my enemy." The portrait gaped at her, but said nothing. In fact the only thing Sunny could hear was her own quick breathing. There was nothing else.

"Consider yourself warned," she choked and turned her back to the portrait, who stayed quiet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw four or five other people watching, but it was Sirius in front of her, his wand limp at his side, staring at her with his gray eyes like he had never seen anything quite like her. She closed her eyes as shame at her weaknesses washed over her. It was not her own power that she had just claimed to wield; it was His power that she spat at the miserable woman. And she knew better than to persecute the wretched.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that she knew she would do it again. And so did He.

The lump of anger lodged in her throat quickly turned into something much more juvenile. When she opened his eyes, Sirius had taken a step back. _He deserves an explanation_. After all, it was his mother she just threatened to condemn to eternal damnation, even if she was just a portrait. But Sunny was painfully aware of her physical state: bare feet, half-starved, filthy and trembling in a ridiculous robe. Besides, she had just introduced herself, once again, to a roomful of strangers in one of the most dramatic ways possible.

_Why can't I be normal?_

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Sirius took a step forward, pointed his wand at the portrait and muttered a spell which closed the curtains around the stunned, but silent, witch. He reached up, and letting the back of his fingers brush across her cheek, pulled her hair off her shoulder and watched it drop down her back. It was a friendly weight patting her on the back, a reminder that not everything was different. He looked at his hand before he let it fall.

"Now why didn't I ever think of that, Sunshine?"

She parted her lips but couldn't think of anything to say, her cheek burning i.

One of the women moved, crossing the floor to stand beside Sirius. She gestured toward the kitchen door. "Come on, let's get some tea." The woman had checkered pink hair and a nice enough face, but Sunny was too confused to even consider the offer.

She shook her head (_Dear Lord, please forgive me in my weakness -) _and (- _I am unworthy to fall at Your feet -_) without a backward glace (- _wrap your hands around my fragmented heart-_) ghosted up the stairs, _(- and give me the strength to walk the path that lies before me_ - ) and into her bedroom ( - _for I do not understand why you brought me here to the house of a man that I don't think I can resist)._

She tore the robe off her body and threw it into the corner of the room. Naked, she crossed to the table and picked up the Bible that had brought her here, and falling prostrate on the ground, covered her head with the open pages, unable to see the words etched on the page:

_Before you were formed in your mother's womb, I knew you, Beloved._

It was a long night for Sunny Burgess.


	4. Chapter 4

A spider web, a perfect octagon that drew the eye in a spiraling circle to the patient owner living in the epicenter, obscured the topmost window of Grimmauld Place. Mid-morning light filtered through, but did not penetrate deep into the attic room. Sirius, his arm resting on the tattered upholstery of an armchair, stared through the achievement as he twirled his wand between the fingers of his left hand, passing it end over end in an effort to help him weave together his tangled thoughts.

_The girl. Harry. The girl. James and Lily. Dumbledore. Freedom. The girl. Harry. Azkaban. Voldemort. Harry. Freedom. Her - Sunshine._

Sirius's wand stopped moving. Blinking, he turned his head and examined his right hand, flexing it into a tight fist and then opening his fingers wide, revealing a crisscross web of palm lines. They were flesh red starting in a tight mesh of interweaving lines by his wrist and came to a distinct crossing in the middle of his hand and then fanned out between his thumb and index finger. He had never put much stock into Divination, there was always too much in the present to worry about the future, but he had no idea where to look for information about what he felt when he brushed against Sunshine's cheek, because for a moment it felt as if magic didn't exist at all.

_But that is impossible. _

He closed his fist on the hidden secrets and sighed.

A rustling of feathers and a heavy sigh to match his own diverted his attention. He turned his head and looked at the hippogriff, Buckbeak, curled on an old blanket in the corner of the room. They locked eyes, grey onto amber, for the briefest second before Buckbeak turned his head to the wall, away from the window, pulling his back hooves up under his body in a tighter ball. Frowning, Sirius stood and walked over to the animal. He bent and placed a hand on the feathers of his friend's head. They had been fugitives together for a long while, and had long since worked out any pride that lay between them.

"What's the matter ol' boy?

Buckbeak snorted into the talons of his front feet and stretched his massive wings, knocking Sirius off balance.

"Hey, you big brute, it's not my fault! If it were up to me I'd let you perch like a giant gargoyle on the roof. It's Dumbledore that doesn't want us to be seen, remember? Someone might recognize us if we leave." Sirius could hear the ringing accusation of bitterness in his voice and wasn't surprised when Buckbeak snorted again and settled himself deeper into his blanket, closing his eyes in evident disdain of the situation. It was exactly how Sirius felt. Disgusted. Life was right outside his door and he was stuck, a prisoner in his own home least he be identified as the prisoner outside.

"Well, take it up with him; maybe you'll be more persuasive than me." Buckbeak didn't move. Sirius rocked forward on his feet, righting himself and patted the hippogriff's head, ruffling the feathers before standing up.

Sirius walked back to the window and bracing his hand against the wall, rested his head on his arm as he looked out on the street below. There was no one moving, not even a car sauntering down looking for a parking spot. He scratched his stubbled chin on his sleeve before pushing off. His footsteps echoed across the bare floor as he walked over to the table that held a pile of books that he rummaged through. It was too early in the morning to throw anything so he left the books in a disgruntled heap and walked back to Buckbeak, who thoroughly ignored him. Sirius made the rounds several more times and was contemplating toeing Buckbeak awake, just to see what would happen, when the door creaked open to reveal Kreacher standing in the doorway. The houself made eye contact once and then looked pointedly over Sirius' shoulder.

_Maybe it's not too early to throw anything. _

Sirius frowned at the persistent silence. "Well, what is it?"

"Master said to come and see him." Kreacher's eyes studied the ceiling.

_One. Two. Three…_Sirius made it to six. "Well," he barked. "What is it?"

"Kreacher has come to see Master." Again his eyes flicked over Sirius for the briefest time possible.

Sirius could feel the muscle of his cheek popping as he clenched his jaw. _Miserable little toerag._ "And why," he asked through gritted teeth, "did I tell you to come see me?"

"Master told Kreacher to come see him if the occupant in my Mistresses guest bedroom emerged."

Sirius blinked. "Where did she go?"

"Kreacher knows not where she went. Kreacher sees the door open and can smell the stinking muggle stench reeking all the way down the stairs, but I had to come and see you, Master, Kreacher could not follow the muggle witch."

Sirius pushed past the houself and was on the next landing before he reminded himself not to run. Going at a slower rate, but still skipping the last two steps on each landing he made it to the central hallway, where indeed, the door to Sunshine's room was open, an empty breath of solitude. He walked to the open door and rapped lightly on the wood. He didn't bother waiting for an answer he knew wouldn't come, instead he followed the scent of honeysuckle down the stairs. Out of habit he turned to go into the kitchen, but stopped midstep. The kitchen had the same vacant feel of the rest of the house. He pulled out his wand.

"Homenum revelio"

Nothing.

_Fuck._

Turning on his heel he walked to the front door and looked out the side window. There was a solitary figure about a hundred yards down the sidewalk, about to turn the corner onto the side street that lead to the muggle business district. It looked like Sunshine, the way her shoulders moved with her hips, but there was something off about the woman's hair; it was too dark. Sirius turned to double check the empty street in the opposite direction and almost missed it when Sunny tossed her hair over her shoulder as she turned around to stare at the place where Grimmauld Place was, but wasn't, like she was trying to memorize the spot.

_It's wet. Her hair is wet._

Heart racing, he reached down and grabbed the doorknob, squeezing it tight in his clenched fist. He slammed an open palm against the door and growled. What was she doing? Didn't she know the danger she was in, the danger that she was putting all of them in, just by walking out the front door of The Order of Phoenix?

_No, stupid sunshine girl. Thinks she walks on water, that one does._

He hit the front door again with his palm and pushed off, heading for the kitchen. There was no time to inform anyone that she had left, it was up to him to bring her back. He opened the back door and without even breathing in the sweet smell of morning, transformed into a huge black dog and slunk behind the back garden fence into the alley behind.

He didn't stop until he reached the deserted street intersection that she had stood moments before. It took only a sniff of his black nose in the air to find her path and although it seemed like an eternity, it didn't take much time to find her. Once he had her in his sights, he relaxed; there was no way she could outrun him. He kept well back, either on the opposite side of the steet or a block or two behind and watched her, her hair drying to its usual luster, weave in and out of ordinary muggles going about their everyday business, her pace at least two steps slower and stopping often to look in the windows of shops.

A group of young men, identical in dark suits passed by and, jostling one another on the shoulder, turned to stare at her. From across the street, Sirius growled, his hackles standing on end and watched them smile and smirk until they were out of sight. When he looked back, she was gone.

Without looking, he crossed the street and put his nose to the ground, finding that she'd only gone into the store. He settled on the pavement two shops down, remembering to wag his tail whenever anyone looked at him. He waited for about an hour before she came out, with two huge bags that were obviously full.

_She's shopping?_

It seemed such a ridiculously normal thing to do.

And she was nothing if not enthusiastic. Sirius spent the next four hours tailing after her, becoming more impressed with each bag she maneuvered. He began to wonder if it would ever end when she came out of one last high end dress shop, and set off with a more purposeful stride than her previous meandering. Sirius cut down an alley to avoid the main traffic and found himself ahead of her for the first time that afternoon. Letting his tongue loll out of his mouth, he kept to the shadow of the alley and dropped to his haunches, waiting.

She rounded the corner, a chaotic jumble of bags and honeysuckle, and a new pair of sunglasses sparking in the afternoon light. He shifted, standing in the entrance of the alley, not bothering to hide behind the bins; it was his first real glimpse of her up close since, for want of a better word, her fit. She was thinner than when she first arrived, but she looked healthier than the night she had come out like an angel of wrath. They had sent Tonks in after her but ultimately it took all of Molly Weasley's mothering skills to bring the girl out of her stupor and eating again. Her mouth was smiling around a song on her lips. Sirius held his breath as she walked right by him, unable to breathe, but unable to turn away. He had always associated feminine with petite, but this was not the case with Sunshine; for such a tall woman, she was utterly feminine.

She was several paces away before she stopped.

She turned, so slowly that he could almost see the strain on her calf muscle under her jeans, and looked at him. He wagged his tail and was rewarded with a smile that nearly blinded him. She took a step toward him.

"Hi there, handsome."

Sirius lifted his chin and matched her step.

Her smile faltered. Tilting her head to the side, she pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, no small feat considering the bags in her hand, which she let slide out of her hands and into a heap onto the sidewalk as she crouched down in front of him. Sirius could see that she still had dark circles under her eyes, but not the hollowed bruises from the other night. He wagged his tail again.

"I didn't think dogs could have gray eyes?"

How did she do that? Whisper but make it sound like the world around him was speaking? Sirius took another step forward, staring into her blueblueblue eyes.

Sunshine reached out a trembling hand, a strange mixture of restive fearlessness.

He didn't mean to, but it was right there. What harm could come from pressing his head into her hand? He closed the distance and even if he hadn't felt the shift - the pavement hard under his palms rather than padded feet, an obtuse sense of smell and the consistent ache that came with humanity - he would have seen the recognition in Sunshine's eyes. But she didn't move her hand from his head, it was just him and her, her warm fingers buried in his hair.

"I see the lot has been cast," she said.

Grabbing her arm, he stood in one fluid movement, a man before her, and pulled her deeper into the shadows of the alley. He was disoriented and clumsy, pulling her too hard and they both stumbled, forcing Sirius to let go of her.

Shaking off the dizziness of his unexpected transformation, he leaned against the wall. "That's a neat parlor trick, how did you do it?"

She shrugged, her hands clasped together in front of her. "Do what?"

He threw his head back and barked a quick laugh "Are you serious? Do you not even know?"

"I know lots of things, Sirius," she said, her voice stronger. "I know that you were a dog one moment and the next…" she made an impatient up and down gesture to indicate him.

_She said my name._

Sirius raised an eyebrow and pushed off the wall. "Is that why Dumbledore sent you to us, because you are some sort of anathema? And what are you doing, going shopping? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

She raised her chin, throwing her hair over her shoulder. Without thinking, Sirius began to reach out to touch, but jerked to a stop. He swallowed, unable to hide the movement.

She took a step closer. Sirius held is breath unable to look away from her face. "Dumbledore did not send me." She took another step closer and held up her hands like she was surrendering, or trying to calm a wild animal. Her main palm lines met in only one spot, forming a cross. "Is that why you're following me? Because it's a mean, mean world?"

It was his turn to shrug. She was too close, there was no air. And her lips, they were right there.

A group of people walked by, stopping their conversation to look for the owner of the bags covering the sidewalk. Sirius caught a concerned look from them as they passed.

_Bloody Hell._

He took a step away from her. "Do you know the way back?"

She sighed and dropped her hands. "Of course I do."

"You can see the house?"

She nodded once.

He spun and by the end of the alley, he had transformed once again into the dog. He looked back once to see her gathering the bags, but he didn't wait, he raced home, covering the last blocks easily. He raced through the yard, changing once again into a man before opening the backdoor of Grimmauld Place and when Sunny opened the front door, he was hardly panting at all.

"Afternoon, Sunshine. Pleasant outing?"

She dropped her bags and started to unwind a pink scarf from around her neck. "Yes." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You?"

He started. "Me? Oh I had a brilliant time, watching over the newest member of our humble organization, making sure she didn't get lost, maimed or killed. A little break from the ordinary never hurt anyone."

She frowned and stepped forward. "But you didn't need to be worried about me."

"Oh yes, I've forgotten, you've given no cause for anyone to worry about you, holed up in your room having some sort of fit for a week and the first time you come out you leave? To shop?" He paced to the far wall and back while she watched him. He was starting to pant again. "What are you doing here?"

She crossed her arms.

"Don't just fucking stare at me, who are you?"

She took a deep breath. "Jinx me," she said.

He stopped moving. Of all the things he thought she might say that was not one of them. "Pardon?"

"You heard me; jinx me." She didn't look overly concerned as she smoothed the crisp white fabric of her shirt down.

He dismissed the request with a laugh. "Despite what most of the world thinks of me, I do not raise my wand against helpless muggles."

"But I told you," she said patiently. "You don't need to worry about me."

Closing his eyes, he rubbed his forehead. "Okay, maybe helpless was the wrong word to use, Sunshine, but I'm not jinxing you."

There was a moment of silence. Then, "Do you remember the first night, the night I came?"

He raised his hand in acknowledgement.

"You noticed a mark on my shoulder, didn't you?"

He opened his eyes and nodded.

She smoothed down the fabric of her shirt again and squared her shoulders. "And you said it yourself – anathema. So, jinx me."

He studied her for a moment before pulling his wand. She was breathing harder than a moment ago, her hands clenched together in front of her, but it was the look of resolve on her face that prompted him to raise his wand more than anything. And he chose a spell that had worked on more than one muggle woman in his days as a younger man.

"Obliviate."

A stream of red flew from the tip of his wand and engulfed her. She threw her head back and gasped, pressing her palms on her temples. She muttered an oath and began a stream of prayers. The spell encased her, but Sirius couldn't tell if it was penetrating and in a matter of seconds, it broke.

She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair a couple times before checking the shoulder of her new shirt and tugging down the front once more.

"Cecilia?"

She frowned and with a confused look parting her lips and creasing the spot between her eyes, she stepped forward.

"Sunshine?"

She broke into a relieved smile. "See you don't have to worry about me, Sirius." She bent to pick up her bags. "Why don't we talk about this more later?" She paused and looked up at him. "Over dinner?"

He cleared his throat, finding his voice. "Dinner?"

"Yes, dinner." She scooped up the last of her bags. "Do British people in grand houses still dress, or is it casual?"

He recovered himself enough to be able to give a gentleman's bow. "Here at Grimmauld Place, its dress robes every night."

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No robes. I have just the thing, and it's not a robe."

"No robes then. Meet me in the library at seven."

She nodded and turned to walk up the stairs.

Sirius watched her until she turned on the landing, his wand hung limp at his side. He fell into a chair, only one thought running through his mind.

_How?_

A movement across the room caught his eye. His mother was staring at him out of her portrait.

"Filthy bloodtraitor," she whispered, her eyes flickering to the empty staircase. "Stay away from that muggle witch."

Sirius felt his face light up. "And that, Mother, is the sugar in the potion."

He heard a hiss as the curtains on her once more.


	5. Chapter 5

The library was not a room Sunny had been in before. At three minutes to seven she pressed her hand against the door and pushed it wide. Holding her breath, she braced her ankles in heels, determined that this time, she was not going to stumble as she stepped forward. The room was empty. Sunny let out her breath, her shoulders relaxing.

_So much for my entrance._

With a raised eyebrow she spun in a slow circle, revealing a room that, although not exactly cozy, was more inviting than most. It had the same high ceilings as the rest of the house, but the bookshelves and their occupants muffled the emptiness and the blazing fire cast a copper glow on the furniture. Sunny made her way over to the fireplace. Ever since she was thrown through the fire, she had been fascinated by their constancy. Fires had been something that happened once, maybe twice a year in her old life, never before had she been – lived someplace that used them as a heat source, and from the way her food tasted, for cooking. There was something primal about it that made her aware of how thankful she was for the blessing of those needs met in a way that she had never thought about in her life.

_Fire is the rim of life, Beloved._

She stepped closer, exaggerating the swing of her arms and hips to watch the light dance off the long-sleeved, sapphire blue dress that was covered in sequins. It was so…so…sparkly, like stars alive in a mid-day summer sky. The four-year-old child inside her squealed with joy, but she only let a small satisfied sigh at the way the firelight danced and played with the small circles betray how much she liked her new dress. And the movement brought a new sensation. Tilting her head to the side, the ends of her hair brushed the soft cowl at her hip line and brought goose bumps on her skin as it slid like silk across her bare back and eventually over her shoulder as she pulled each strand into a loose ponytail. Sunny closed her eyes and let the warmth of the fire encircle her.

The air became dense behind her, raising the goose bumps off her skin once more. And when he spoke, it seemed to take awhile for his voice to reach her.

"Seraphim or Rapunzel, take your pick?"

She took one last breath and dropped her hair, covering her back once more before she turned around. He was leaning against the door frame, wearing a black suit with shooting star pin stripes. He had pulled his hair back into a ponytail, and a recent bread trim showed the strong line of his jaw. Sunny's heart stuttered in her chest, and not knowing what to do with her hands, kept them clasped in front of her.

"I'll stick with Sunshine, thank you."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Not an angel?"

Sunny couldn't help but smile. "No. Definitely not an angel. I am very much a human."

Sirius pushed off the wall and crossed the room, stopping about five yards away. "Not a princess then, either?"

Her smile faltered and she bit her lips. It could be so confusing to explain. "Of course I am."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I am a Princess of The Blood, part of a chosen people anointed for salvation."

Sarcasm rimmed the edge of his laugh. "And you know what, Sunshine, so am I."

She stepped forward. "I had no idea that you believed in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

He raised a finger in the air. "Aha, but you see the trick with being a wizard is that I have magic."

"See that's just it, magic is an inherent ability within you, to manipulate the environment around you to suit your needs," she took another step closer. "Wants," and another. "and any desire you might have." She dug her heels into the faded carpet. "It doesn't seem to be anything you have to believe in, and I think the main problem with the Order of Phoenix situation is that wizards have forgotten that magic, like everything else in life, is a gift."

"But that's where you're wrong-"

"That life and everything in it is a gift?"

He raised a hand to stop her. "No. Yes. No. Wouldn't I seem awfully contrary if I argued that point?" His lips twitched into a smile and Sunny felt sure that he was considering the bait. He shook his head. "No, what I was going to say, is that if a wizard doesn't believe in the spell they are going to perform, it will be less powerful. My godson saved my life once by using magic that was well above his ability, but he had seen himself do it, and was therefore confident that he would be able to perform the spell."

Sunny couldn't help but notice the pride in which he spoke of his godson. "Your godson, Harry?"

Sirius nodded.

"I'm glad that He saved your life."

There was a space of several breaths before Sirius nodded his head. "Thank you. Forgive me, I have yet to even say hello. You look magnificent."

"Thank you." It came out as a whisper and she blushed, unable to return the compliment, even though she wanted to. "This is a beautiful room."

"Yes, I rather like this one, more my father than my mother. Anyway, it's better than most of the wretched house." He gestured to a drink cart next to the desk and walked over. "Would you like something to drink?"

Sunny watched the stripes on his suit shimmer as he walked. "Sure, nothing strong with lots of bubbles. Tell me about Harry."

Sirius' face lit up, making him look ten years younger. "Harry might simply be one of the most incredible people I have ever met."

"In what way?"

"Incredible people are rarely incredible in only one way. I think the most unique aspect about him is that he wants to be good." He smirked at her from across the room. "James and myself never had such a noble aspirations."

"James?"

"Harry's father." Sadness darkened his smile and he looked down, intent on stoppering the glass bottle of amber fluid. "My best friend." This was a whisper almost too faint for Sunny to hear, and she knew it wasn't meant for her, but for the Ghost Himself, claiming that relationship still alive.

"I'm sorry."

He looked up and stared at her, anguish giving him the feral look she had seen as he turned from dog into man earlier. "I killed him. James and Lily. Harry's parents. Has anyone ever told you that, Sunshine?"

Sunny stayed motionless.

"When I convinced them to use another person as their secret keeper, I issued them a death sentence. Me, the only Black in centuries to wear Gryffindor loyalty like a banner, I strangled the only person who ever fought for me with that loyalty." He took a healthy drink of whatever was in his glass. He laughed through his nose as he swallowed. "People try to convince me otherwise, and you can stand there like an angel of mercy and talk about your God's gifts, but I was forced to live with my traitorous mistake, as fresh as if I had just pulled Harry out of the smoking wreckage of their house, for twelve years in Azkaban. You asked about Harry; that's where Harry comes from."

Sunny pressed her lips together. How could he be so ungrateful? "And so that's who you are? You've branded yourself a traitor, for trusting someone? I'm sorry, but that is total bullshit. You give yourself way too much credit. _For only I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and give you a future, and not to harm you_."

Sirius slammed his glass down. "What the fuck do you know about it, Little Miss Sunshine?"

Sunny narrowed her eyes into slits and advanced upon the man pointing at her. "What do I know about misery and suffering? Plenty! I was raised by my grandparents and I do not recall a time when my grandfather did not rape me, or a time when my grandmother cared to do anything about it. I tried to kill myself on three different occasions by the time I was fourteen, and when _that _didn't work I tried to run away."

The flicker of knowledge crossed his gray eyes. "You too?" she asked, but continued without waiting for a response. "Well, the thing is, Sirius, being a rich son of a bitch, my grandfather could always find me. Always."

She was breathing hard and shaking by the time she stood inches from him. "But then I started to listen when He spoke to my soul." She tapped on her chest, right above her heart. "And I stopped caring if I was crazy and making excuses for not being dead; I decided to live. And He embraced me." She choked on her words, unexpected tears stinging her eyes.

_Please, DO NOT let me cry. _

"The Lord God Almighty sheltered me when I had nothing and no one else, and when the time was right," Sunny raised her hand and made a fist, "He exacted my revenge." She took a deep breath and straightened up, smoothing her dress, feeling the soft scales of her dress ticking across her palms. "I even got the bastard's money." She reached down for her drink that was sweating onto the wood and raised her glass in a toast. "So, here's to the blessing of pain and suffering, without which we would not be the incredible people here today. May we be graced enough to last a lifetime."

Sirius raised his own glass with her and drank.

She turned and walked back to the hearth, crossing her arms and staring into the fire once more. She heard his footsteps, soft and muted as twilight, stop behind her. She turned her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eye, her chin resting on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be; I don't feel sorry for you. Besides, I'm much too aware to believe that happiness is a choice, but bravery is, and sometimes it takes all the courage I have to be happy."

The sides of his eyes crinkled when he laughed and reached across the gap between them, tugging Sunny's own smile from her pouting lips. She uncrossed her arms and moved to turn, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and kept her in place.

Her heart, which had slowed down to a more moderate rate after her outburst, picked back up and she stayed motionless as his fingers touched her hair, a brush on the burnished top then burying deeper until she felt his fingers meet skin. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying to keep a moan from escaping. She felt the entire weight of her hair move, caught in fistfuls as he pulled it to his face and breathed in her scent, the bare skin of her back tingling against the fabric of his suit.

_Oh my Sweet Jesus, I want this man._

The only response was the searing burn of lips on the back of her shoulder, right below her neck. She gasped and tried to turn to face him again, but his long fingers wrapped around her arms, holding her firm. It was like a live current of electricity running through her whole body that jolted with each press of his lips onto her skin as he made his way down her spine.

_This is not normal. Is this his magic?_

"No!"

He gasped and let her go.

Sunny pitched forward and staggered, panting for air. She hadn't realized she had her head thrown back and was completely leaning on him. She turned to face him. He was wiping his palm across his mouth, like he had just drunk something that overflowed.

"You must think me an unbelievable rouge."

Sunny shook her head. "No, well yes a bit, but no that's not it. It's magic, yours that, well-"

Growling he advanced on her once more and grabbing her shoulders pushed her against the wall. "Maybe you're scared to feel so much because to be tempted is to fear so much as well, and we both know what it is to live in the tight fist of fear, don't we Sunshine."

She raised her chin and held his eyes. This close they did not look like fog, but like a winter morning dawn. She parted her lips.

"Can you come to me as a man, and not a wizard, because if you don't, He will destroy you."_And me, for I am destined to love you, Sirius Black._

The fire danced like sunshine in his eyes and he bent his face so his lips hovered over hers as he breathed the words, "You smell like freedom to me, Love."

Sunny didn't know what that meant, but when his lips finally pressed to hers she felt the heat of the fire and the need of her longing well up inside her. She willingly stepped through the open door.


	6. Chapter 6

Sirius stared at the back of Sunny's head as she leaned in close to Tonks, whispering something that caused his cousin to cover the bottom of her blushing face with a hand and laugh.

Remus, who was sitting at the kitchen table beside him, sighed. "Why do I think they are talking about us?"

"Because girls have three main topics of conversation: Clothes. Hair. And Breasts. Even if they are not directly talking of you and I, we, as men, are always the indirect object of the conversation therefore they are talking about us." He broke his gaze off Sunny and gave his friend a wide smile, winking to show that he was only half kidding.

Remus leaned back in his seat and chuckled. "Somehow, Padfoot, that doesn't make me feel any less like a schoolboy with burning ears."

Sirius narrowed his eyes into a wicked smile and cupped his hands together, muttering a spell. A small ball of blue flames blossomed in his palm that he began to pass back and forth between his palms, batting it too quick to burn his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tonks glance at the distraction, which drew Sunny's attention.

"What are you boys doing," she asked, hanging her arm over the back of the chair, "talking about us?"

Sirius couldn't keep the smile off his face but continued to focus his attention on playing with fire.

"Actually, Sirius was giving me his remunerations about the content of gender specific conversation patterns. It was quite illuminating."

"Oh yeah," Sunny said, sliding off her seat and walking across the room . "Did it include some rubbish about how all women talk about is sex and men."

"I'm hurt, the word sex was never once mentioned," Sirius said, tossing the miniature ball of fire into the air. "Catch, Moony."

Remus pointed his wand at the fireball, causing it to hover midair. His eyes flicked to Tonks, who was still sitting across the room. With another muttered incantation and a circling movement with his wand, he set the ball spinning through the air, a blue blur of light that spiraled around Tonks, pulling at her hair and cloak, which took on the appearance of the blue flames, before it zoomed into the fireplace, making embers bounce onto the flagstone hearth.

Sunny clapped her hands. "Oh, bravo! I just love unexpected gifts."

Remus stood, laughing, and moved over to Tonks, who looked a bit windswept, asking if she was okay.

Sirius widened his eyes, the picture of innocence as Sunny turned to him, pointing and trying not to laugh. "Gifts, you just remember that."

He nodded, watching the top button of her shirt strain against her cleavage. "I am in no doubt of your many gifts, Sunshine."

She let her eyes flick down, following his gaze. She narrowed her eyes as she straightened her back, making the shirt strain even more. "Animal," she said.

The challenge was too much for him, he leapt up from his chair and caught her wrist as she backed away squealing. He pulled her to him and kissed her full on the mouth, wrapping his other arm around her waist and crushing her body to his. She gave one playful squeak and then relaxed in his embrace. Sirius smiled as they reconnected, the lonely pang of having to be civilized in front of everyone during Order meetings receding as their kiss lengthened.

It was even harder because Sunny was so blatantly not interested in any kind of planning, choosing the time to read, which he cared nothing about but drew raised eyebrows and pointed looks that she completely ignored, or to stare at Sirius as though she was trying to memorize every pore on his skin, which was easy for everyone else to ignore, but made him feel even lonelier.

_How can I be lonely for her when she's right here?_

He pulled her even tighter. She let out another small squeak and pulled away, breathing heavy. Raising her hands, she placed them on either side of his face and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.

_I Am Right Here._

Sirius didn't know if it was his thought or hers.

Remus cleared his throat. Sunny pulled back and brushed her lips on his nose before stepping aside. Sirius took a deep breath, used to the sudden dizziness that always followed when she let go of him.

They had spoken to Dumbledore , a potentially awkward conversation but it seemed the old man knew how to get to the point without too many specifics, about the ramifications of their physical relationship. Sunny was relieved when they agreed that Sirius wasn't in any danger of being drained of his magic. After a couple days of experimenting it became clear that, although she was capable of muffling the effects of spells, her ability was a natural counter curse for specific spells cast, not for magic in general. And of course, Sunshine was always strongest during the day.

Sirius opened and closed his fist, watching Sunny join Remus and Tonks, the feel of her hair still tingling on his hand. He had always taken for granted his magic, even in Azkaban he was able to work spells without a wand, which ultimately saved his sanity, but in the few months he had spent with Sunny, he was starting to see his magic as something precious indeed.

_Maybe that's how it is when someone else thinks what you are is precious. _Sirius nearly flinched with a pang of loneliness.

He took a deep breath and changed into his dog form. He sneezed twice, letting his whole body shiver with the act before trotting over to the small pack, licking his mate's knee before eyeing the rest of the group.

Moony looked down at him. "Well, Sirius, I take it you're done talking for the evening? Or are you getting ready to do something you shouldn't?"

He let his eyes roll but wagged his tail.

Tonks put a soft hand on Moony's arm. "Remus it is getting late, nearly midnight, do you mind seeing me home."

Sirius jumped back, barked a goodbye and set his teeth onto the hem of his mate's skirt and began to pull her backwards to the door.

"Ack, Sirius, let go! You're going to rip my dress."

Sirius growled a laugh and continued to tug.

"Remus, Tonks, I'm so sorry, I'm sure what Sirius meant to say was we're very tired now and going to bed." She nearly tripped and had to use Sirius' back to keep herself from falling. "Please make yourselves at home, there are plenty of rooms available if you want to stay." He couldn't see her face, but he could hear her laughter. She gave one last futile resistance by bracing her hands on the narrow doorway. He tugged.

"Good night," she yelled, tumbling out of the kitchen, laughing.

He set his paws forward and hunkered down over them, ready to pounce, his tail wagging a blur in the air.

"You," she said, "are so rude. I'm gonna get you."

He barked and nipped the air in front of her before springing back and scampering up the stairs, knowing that she was going to follow. He loved it when she chased him.

He made it to his bedroom well ahead of her, and had plenty of time to turn back into a man. He had three options: Leave and prolong, hide and attack, or visible and smug. Deciding he didn't want to miss any of her expressions, he stood at the foot of the bed, the picture of calm, cool and collected. He didn't have to wait long because a few seconds later she burst through the door, panting and crouched down, ready for an onslaught.

Hide and attack was the decision on the last chase.

When she saw him, leaning against the bed poster she narrowed her eyes.

"Hello, Love, getting some exercise tonight."

She took a few running steps and launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Sirius caught her, cupping his hands under her bottom but allowed himself to fall backward onto the bed so she was straddling him as he sat on the edge. He could feel her heart racing as she pressed down to kiss him and he hitched her closer.

"You are impossible," she said through tiny raindrop kisses.

"One of my many gifts, Sunshine."

She grabbed his side and squeezed, making him yelp and, grabbing firm hold of her bottom, he stood, turned, and threw her down on the bed, mercilessly digging his fingers into the sensitive flesh of her ribs.

"No, stop!" she choked out, trying to fend him off with weak, laughing muscles. "Mercy!"

He gave her a couple more squeezes before stopping. She lay there, clenched and panting, her hands poised to defend herself again if necessary. "I hate being tickled," she said. "There's something about being forced to laugh that is double insult to injury."

"Free will, Darling. Just decide you're not going to laugh."

"You obviously have not been tickled enough in your life to think it's a choice, and besides, I don't believe in free will."

He started, leaning back. It had been days since she said anything that surprised him. "What?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What? I don't."

He leaned back, placing his hands on his thighs. "What kind of person doesn't believe in free will?"

She raised her head and checked to see where his hands were. "Don't tickle me again," she said. Only after he nodded did she move her elbows to the side, clasping her fingers behind her head like a pillow.

_Oh she_ _is asking for it._

"I guess that's the wrong way to put it, but it starts at the beginning. When Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, our fellowship with God was severed, forcing us into a servitude of sorts, we have to work, sweat and cry our way through life instead of," she gave a wry smile, "walking around naked in the Garden of Eden."

"I like where this story is headed," Sirius said, fingering the straining button on the top of her dress.

"But that didn't change how much He loved us," Sunny went on as if he didn't say anything. "In fact, I believe it made Him love us more, because when someone makes the one choice there really is in life, it is a victory not a charade."

"And what choice is that?"

"To live in Grace or not."

He had unbuttoned the second button and ran a finger over the swell of her breast. "So, according to you, I am not making the decision to touch you right now."

She sighed and sat up, her blue eyes huge and earnest. She pulled him down next to her on the bed. "You misunderstand me. I believe that the whole purpose of life is to regain our fellowship with The Lord that we lost when we took the gift of knowledge without consent. We _know_ how to do lots of things, but until we decide to live in His Grace we are living a broken destiny …"

Sirius took a breath. _Broken destiny. Is that what I've been living? An incomplete prophecy? _He felt his brow furrow with a thought that he had been able to ignore these past weeks. _But I haven't been living, I belong to no world at all, how can I have any destiny? _He blinked and refocused on Sunny. It didn't seem that she knew he had wandered.

"… and we have no free will, can we experience a reversal of destiny."

A strand of her hair clung to her cheek. Using the back of his fingers, he brushed it away and let his hand trail down to her breasts, letting his finger slide between her pale flesh and the lace of her bra. He looked up to meet her eyes and believed it true – for her. But there was something he

"What about sin, Sunshine. If you believe your life to be mandated by God how can you justify…." _fucking me every day?_

She pursed her lips around a smile. "Don't you believe in destiny, Sirius?"

He looked down in his lap, unable to meet her eyes. "Well that just depends, the broken or the reversal kind?"

He looked up when her weight left the bed. She kicked off her shoes and proceeded to unbutton her dress, picking up where he had left off. She let it fall to the floor and kicked it aside. She unhooked her bra and threw it on the heap of her dress and Sirius fully appreciated the bouncing curve of her breasts as she shimmied out of her underwear. Whatever she said to the contrary, she looked like an angel, tall and fierce with the light of the fire behind her.

"Do you know what makes Eden so unique, why people still search for its borders?"

Sirius remained silent.

"Unconditional love - It is one of the gifts that were taken away from man at the fall, and whatever people say to the contrary, humans are incapable of unconditional love; we are much too selfish.

But," she said, stepping forward until she was right in front of him. He reached a hand out and slid his fingers over her waist, the satin smooth texture of her skin rising into goose bumps before he rested his hands, his thumbs stroking the hollow of her hip bones. "Falling in love is the gift of an island of time and space where everything somebody does is as close to perfect as possible. Only when we step off the rim and allow ourselves to fall completely can we glimpse what could have been, what is, and what will be. Don't you see? It is the opportunity to be utterly human."

Déjà-vu was hammering on the door of Sirius' broken destiny and he felt like a deaf man when he watched her lips form the next words.

"Which includes sin."

She slid one of her legs on the side of the bed, next to his hip, and then the other, so she was straddling him once more. He hitched her closer, the fresh smell of her nearly as overpowering as the hot crease of her body grinding down on his bulging penis. Groaning, he pulled her hair out of the way and pressed his lips to her neck, leaving a row of glistening marks as he made his way up to her face and lips.

"This creepy old house is the closest to Eden that I've ever been," she continued, her eyelashes fluttering against the smooth skin of her cheek. Sirius placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her closer pressing his lips to the vulnerable skin of her eyelids and running his tongue over the inside of her eye. It was a part of her he had never tasted before, and there was nothing about her he did not want to know. He licked a salty tear before it could fall from her eye. He pulled back to look at her. She opened her wet eyes slowly; revealing a smoky summer sky.

"Wouldn't I be ungrateful to be ashamed?"

He crushed his lips to hers and, like his earlier maneuver stood and flipped her onto her back on the bed. He undressed in a matter of seconds, pulling his clothes off and throwing them, taking a deep breath of relief once he was naked. She had spread her legs wide, revealing her pink, wet sweetness.

_God help me. _

_Fall off the rim of love._

Sirius didn't know if it was his thought or not.

He reached down and opened the folds of her pussy with his fingers, revealing her hidden clitoris. Using the whole pad of his tongue, he licked, slow and steady over her throbbing nub, knowing he had never tasted anything so good – so raw in his whole life. She opened her legs even further and moaned. Sirius nearly sobbed.

He licked her two more times in the same manner and pushed himself on top of her, her legs wrapping around his waist, her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. It took an enormous amount of willpower, but he stopped at her entrance. She moaned beneath him, raising her hips up to meet him, but he stayed just out of reach.

"Sirius," she said.

He bent his head so their foreheads met. At the unexpected contact, Sunny opened her eyes.

"I love you too, Sunshine."

And he thrust into her, filling himself as much as her.

For the rest of the night they lived on an island where only Blackness and Sunshine existed in time and space.


	7. Chapter 7

Sirius' wand lay on the library desk. Sunny lowered her head, resting her chin on the back of her hands and considered the slim whip of a stick, shining blue-black in the afternoon sunlight. It looked like nothing more than polished wood. She closed one eye, then the other, measuring the myopic length with her fingertips.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"How does a wand become a wand?"

There was silence then the soft shushing of a book being closed. "Pardon?"

Sunny couldn't help smiling. _Pardon. _She loved the way his mouth curled around the word.

"Wands," she said, reaching through a square of golden light, her arm casting a long shadow that reached his wand before her fingers. Never having touched it before, Sunny hesitated, letting her shadow finger play over the runes etched on the side. What if she broke it somehow? "How does a wand become a wand?"

She felt Sirius move to the other side of the desk, and she pulled her hand back as she looked up. He sat on the edge of the desk, a crooked smile on his face. "All these months and the first question I get about magic, is about wands? It won't bite you," he said, nodding at his wand.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, looking again at the wand on the desk. "That's not what I was worried about." She reached out to take hold of it, but looked back up at him, her eyes creased together in concern. "You don't think I could hurt it, do you."

"Merlin's beard, Sunshine, would you touch the bloody wand."

She raised her eyebrows and using only her index finger, rolled it back and forth on the desk, the irregular clicks heavier than that of a pencil, but other than that, she didn't feel anything. Grasping it between her fingers, she picked it up. Sirius slid off the desk and she could feel the intensity of his stare as she tucked the thicker base into her palm, the way she had seen him do so often.

"Well?" he said after a couple seconds ticked by.

"Well, what?"

"What do you feel?"

"Feel? Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"No, nothing," she said, twirling the wand and aiming it at a piece of amber that lived on the desk, closing one eye and pointing the tip right at the prehistoric bug that was trapped in the fossilized sap. "What does it feel like when you pick it up?"

He sighed and sat back down on the edge of the desk. He was silent so long that she looked up. He was staring at her hand. She gripped the stick with her fingers, then reached across the desk and offered his wand to him on her palm. He ran a finger over her etched lines. "You didn't feel anything?" he asked again.

Sunny shook her head.

He took up his wand and closed his hand around it so tight, his knuckles went pale. "I suppose it feels like coming home," he said. "Or," he said, raising is arm in a sweeping gesture, "what home is supposed to feel like. It's that safe, secure feeling of knowing everything you need is right at your fingertips."

Sunny looked at the stick; that was not what she got out of picking it up, but hey, if that's how he felt, she was happy he had it. _Happy he had it… _She pointed to the wand and then to him. "You didn't have your wand in Azkaban, how did you get it back?"

Sirius smirked, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Dumbledore. After Harry set me and Buckbeak free, we made our way to some islands off South America." Sunny nodded, knowing this piece of the puzzle. "All wands are confiscated from prisoners when they're taken to Azkaban, and held at the Ministry. This," he held his wand balanced on the tip of his finger, "arrived by owl only a couple days after I let Dumbledore know where I was with a letter saying that he thought I might like to see an old friend." He smiled even broader as he twirled the wand between his fingers, something that had obviously taken hours of practice to perfect. "I can't imagine how he got to it, but so far there hasn't been any mention of a Ministry break in," he paused, "well at least not one pertaining to the prisoner's wands, so I'm assuming Dumbledore was able to put a transfigured copy in its place."

"The ol' doppelganger wand trick, huh?"

"Indeed."

Sunny couldn't help but smile. _Indeed._

"Was it hard for you, to live without it?"

His expression turned dark.

"I mean once you were out," she said, quick to clarify. "It seems that wizards have a true disdain for living like us lowly muggles."

"No, it wasn't hard because I didn't have a choice; getting to my wand, any wand really, wasn't an option. I've always been competent at dealing with most situations; I'll do whatever I have to do to survive." He stood and walked to the window and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "I almost stole one from a careless student when I broke into Hogwarts, but I didn't want to leave anyone unable to defend themselves with that rat around."

Sunny watched him stare out the window, trying to read his expression. Whenever he spoke of Pettigrew – or Snape for that matter, he could turn taciturn and sullen, often withdrawing for hours into the obsession of his dislike. It never bothered Sunny when he retreated into himself; it seemed to her that the only thing wrong with him was the current of his thoughts, so where better to go to find the answers. But sometimes he could be distracted.

She stood and padded over to him.

"Hey," she said, placing her hand on his arm.

He blinked and slowly turned his ghost gray eyes to her, his Azkaban eyes. Sunny drew in a breath, her stomach dropping. _I_'_m loosing him! _

Some sort of recognition flickered in his eyes, and he gave a pathetic, feeble smile.

She narrowed her eyes, the initial spike of fear giving way to anger. _Alright, that's it. _ Lifting her index finger, she poked him in the chest. Hard. "Stop it," she commanded.

"Ouch!" The pale skin around his eyes flushed with color as he rubbed the bruise out. "What'd you do that for?"

She poked him again. "Don't give me some pansy ass smile because you think that's what I'm looking for, I'd rather you growl and walk away than give me that watered down version."

He licked his lips, hiding a smile. "Did you just call me a pansy ass?"

"Yes I did, and if you want to hear it again, keep acting like that."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said in a not very good southern American accent.

She raised her eyebrow and shook her head. " Please, don't make me say it again."

He laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. _Much better._ Sunny reached out to draw him into a hug. "Now that we've got that straight, I have a surprise for you."

He leaned back to look at her. "You do! I can't-"

"Sirius!"

It was a muffled call from the hallway, followed by the sound of running and then the library door burst open and Remus was halfway across the room in three steps.

Sirius stepped in front of Sunny, pushing her behind him with his wand drawn. "Bloody Hell, Remus, what is it, man?"

"It's Harry, he's in the fire-"

"What," Sirius bounded forward, "is he okay?"

"-he says he just wants to talk."

Remus yelled the last part at Sirius' back, and looked back at Sunny, shrugged and followed Sirius out the door.

Sunny blinked at the sudden disappearance, and at a more sedate pace, followed the two men. She stopped outside the kitchen door and pushed it open just a crack. The head of a boy, a young man really, was speaking. He kept looking off to the side and down at the ground with an agitated, uncomfortable look on his face.

Sunny's shoulders slumped, and closed the crack, embarrassed that she was witness to the boy's – Harry's – embarrassment. But if she walked away, they might hear her, and by the rich warmness of Sirius' voice, she knew that it was important not to interrupt. She stayed motionless until a shadow caught her eye, causing her to startle.

Kreacher stood in the middle of the hallway, an avid expression of interest on his face, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Sunny knew there was little that happened in the house that the houself didn't know about. And there was little that he liked. She turned and blocked the doorway, making it clear that if he wanted to interrupt, he had to go through her first.

"Master speaks to the Potter boy." And then he smiled. Sunny felt the little hairs on the back of her neck prickle with dislike because there was nothing pansy assed about it. It was cold and full of malice and for the first time in a long while, Sunny felt scared. Not the kind of scared that came with strong emotion, but the kind of scared that came from knowing a demon wished her harm.

_Dear Lord, take this being and destroy him, make him vanish before my eyes and do not give him dominion._

The hallway rang with a silent echo until it was interrupted by Kreacher's quiet, cackling laughter. He turned and shuffled away just in time to hear a faint pop and a furious argument erupt between the two friends.

"Sirius, be reasonable," Remus was saying. "You cannot burst into Hogwarts and confront Snape."

"And why shouldn't I, Snivelous is disobeying his orders, why can't I?"

The kitchen door slammed open and Sirius, pale and flush with anger strode past, kicked the banister and changed into a dog before bounding up the stairs, disappearing out of sight.

Remus threw his hands up and sighed.

"Is Harry okay?" Sunny asked.

"Yes, I believe so. He's just realized his father was a human being, not the perfect image of Harry's imagination. It's a tough thing for anyone to come to terms with and I expect more so since James was killed before he had the chance to prove his fallacies in the mundane everyday goings on."

Sunny frowned. There was never a time in her life that she thought anyone was perfect. She looked up the stairs where Sirius had disappeared. At least not before. She shook her head. Too much had happened in a short time. With Sirius withdrawn, loneliness washed over her. It was so quiet.

_But he's right up there._ But it was so quiet and the lingering queasy feeing of Kreacher''s laughter clung to her like skunk.

"Sunny, are you okay?"

She jumped and paled. Remus was watching her, concern creased over his kind face.

She opened her mouth to say something then snapped it shut and looked up the darkened staircase.

_Are You there?_

It was silent and Sunny choked on a sob and backed down the hallway.

"Can you tell Sirius that I'm going out. I'll be back later and well," she reached the door and grasped the handle, "that I'll be back in a little bit. It's too quiet here," she added, trying to explain to Remus without saying it out loud.

He threw his hands in the air and although she was too far away to hear his sigh, she could feel the air move around her.

She wrenched open the door and stumbled out into the afternoon air, not sure of where she was going, but hoping for an answer when she got there.


End file.
